Cards on the Table
by SixthSeason
Summary: Prologue to Solitaire. James wanted nothing but the best for his daughter, even if it meant abandoning her so she could keep what was the best for her.
1. Prologue

_**August 9th, 2258**_

"Gob! Get the rest of those glasses collected you rotting corpse, or I'll skin ya alive! Or whatever skin you_ have_ left!"

The bar erupted into rapturous laughter as Colin Moriarty hassled his barkeep with impossible tasks for the patrons' entertainment. Colin turned to the men sitting on the stools opposite the counter. "Which one of you bastards want to bet that he can't clean all those dishes properly in under two minutes flat?"

"You're shitting us, Moriarty!" One of the patrons barked, slamming his bottle on the table in good nature. "It can't be done!"

"75 caps says that he can! This sod's been cleaning glasses for me ever since I opened!"

"Yeah? _150_ caps say he can't!" Another patron barked. "You saw how many glasses were in there? There were at least 20!"

"You're on. 20 glasses clean in two minutes! Best be gettin' those caps out yer pocket now, boyo! Gob! Get your ass in here!"

Gob immediately dashed into the room, his milky eyes tracking the current scene. By the smug looks on their faces and the sure look on Moriarty's face, he could tell that he was going to be subject to yet another bet against his will. Gob sighed inaudibly, resenting the fact that he had become the bar's weekly source of entertainment.

"Here's the story, Ghoul." Moriarty jerked his thumb towards the sink behind him. "Those glasses are gonna get washed, right now."

Gob nodded and started towards the sink. " Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

Moriarty grabbed his arm to violently yank him backwards, threatening to pop his elbow out of socket. "Did I say I was done talking?! Get the fuck back here!" Once Moriarty was sure he had his attention he pointed to the sink again. "Those glasses. Spotless. Two minutes. Understand?"

"Yes sir." Gob made his way over to the sink and turned the faucet on. _Fuck this bet. Fuck Moriarty. Fuck all those pricks behind the bar. Fuck this town!_ Gob fumed silently as the men at the bar jeered at him impatiently as he watched the sink fill. He should have kept walking all those years ago. He should have ignored Megaton completely. If that damn group of Raiders hadn't chased him towards this town, he would never borrowed caps from Moriarty. Colin. Fucking. Moriarty! Possibly the sleaziest man in the Wasteland! Here he was, for God-knows how long, working off his- what? Tab? Room and board on top of that? And having to be Moriarty's clown for the patron's entertainment?

Gob gripped the faucet with a white knuckled fist and twisted it. Moriarty glanced at a worn clock on the wall, watching the second hand tick away. Gob glanced at him sideways. He wouldn't let Moriarty win this bet this time. He'd let the asshole taste defeat for once. He'd be flipping mad, but it would be so worth it.

Moriarty began counting down. "Five. Four. Three. Two. One!"

Gob's hands dipped into the sink of irradiated water. He snagged a dishtowel and the glass closest to him. Plunging them both underwater, the glass emerged only seconds later, without a smudge or smear. The patrons fell silent and stared at Gob as Moriarty threw his head back and roared.

"What'd I tell ya? The Ghoul's got the fastest hands in the Capital Wasteland!"

"Don't get so cocky, Moriarty!" A patron finally spoke up. "That was only one glass. He's got 19 more to go!"

"And he's got a minute and fifty seconds left!" Another patron piped up. "That glass took 10 seconds!"

Moriarty waved his hand dismissively. "How 'bout we up the stakes then? _200_ shiny caps if he finishes on time." The patrons let out a collective noise of incredulous laughter at Moriarty's cockiness. "What? You all backin' out now?"

"Hell, no!" One of the patrons yelled from the other end of the bar. "I wanna see if your Ghoul is what you make it out to be!"

It. Gob was no longer male. Hell, he wasn't even _Gob._ He was just an "it". A thing. An object to them. Less than human. Expendable. Worthless. Meant to be used, then thrown away. Gob's vision slowly began to turn red as the cheers and Moriarty's voice droned on in the background. He clenched the glass in his hand tightly and gritted his teeth. He needed to break something, or he'd end up spilling blood by the end of the night. Looking to his left, he saw the crate of dirty glasses. With an inhuman noise, he swept his arm out, sending the crate careening off the wall and onto the floor with a deafening crash that shut up every patron in the bar, including Moriarty. The only sound that could be heard was the second-hand of the clock and Gob's ragged breathing through his clenched teeth.

"You lost the bet, Moriarty." A patron said softly after a few moments. Moriarty snapped his head to glare at him. "You said 20 glasses in two minutes. The Ghoul ain't got no more glasses to wash. You best pay up, less'n you don't want us to come back."

Moriarty grudgingly made his way to his private safe and began counting out the caps for the 4 patrons, shooting Gob infuriated glares all the while. Moriarty dropped the caps on the counter carelessly.

"You got your caps. Now unless you want me to bust one in all of your asses, you best get the fuck out." He warned, voice tight. "**Now**."

The patrons didn't need to be warned twice. Scraping their caps off the counter, they exited the bar hurriedly. Moriarty then turned to Gob, his eyes comparable to the pits of Hell. _Get mad, you prick._ Gob spat mentally._ This is what I feel everyday I look at your goddamned face._ Moriarty grabbed an abandoned beer bottle off the counter and slammed it against Gob's head. Gob's head forcefully twisted sideways and he struggled to keep both his balance and consciousness.

"What the fuck was that, Gob?!" Moriarty yelled the louder than he had ever yelled before. "What the_ fuck_ was that?!" Moriarty landed a blow to his abdomen, and Gob had to fight to keep the contents of his stomach from spilling onto the floor. A boot connected to the side of his head, and whatever teeth Gob had left came loose as the metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth.

"800 caps, Gob! 800 fucking, goddamn _caps_! Do ya _know_ how long it took me to come up with that amount? Huh!?" Moriarty yanked him up to his feet by the collar of his bloodied shirt and slammed him against the wall. "How many drinks I had to sell to even give half- no- a quarter of that amount?! You fucking corpse! You zombie! You- You!" One more blow to the face sent Gob to the floor, rivulets of blood racing down his face. Moriarty grabbed his jaw and twisted his head so he could look the battered Ghoul in the eyes.

"I pray that you weren't hopin' of goin' anywhere for the next decade. In addition to your room and board, you're gonna have to work off each and every one of those caps,_ and_ pay for replacements for those glasses. Now clean this shit off the floor. Don't want your fucking zombie juices reeking up the place." Moriarty stormed upstairs and slammed the room to his door shut, making the whole bar rattle. Gob laboriously tried to move, the painful throbbing of his head making his task all the more difficult. He reached for the dishtowel, but decided against smearing the cloth he used to wash the bar's dishes with in his blood.

Gob took the own shirt off of his back, wet it in the sink and began to soak up the droplets of blood that had collected on the floor. As soon as he wiped it up, more blood spattered against the floor from the open wounds on his face. Gob cursed under his breath as he resentfully continued to wipe up his own blood. He had been so caught up in his task that when the bar door opened, he jumped up to his feet a bit too quickly, steadying himself against the bar.

The first thing Gob noticed was how he must've looked. A shirtless, bruised, bleeding, Ghoul, who looked like he was just involved in a violent S&M session. With a necrophile. A really violent dominant necrophile. The second thing he noticed that the man who had walked into the bar wasn't one of the regular patrons. Come to think of it, Gob had never seen this man before.

The man wore a simple lab uniform complete with the flowing lab coat, and, laughingly, a stethoscope carelessly hanging from one of the huge pockets. His face was sunken in and his eyes bleary as he made his way over to the bleeding Ghoul. Upon closer inspection, the man carried a bundle in his arms, close to his chest. Gob quickly put his shirt back on, silently cursing Moriarty for bloodying up the only shirt he wore.

"Hello." The man greeted Gob softly with a tired smile as he readjusted the bundle in his arms. Gob found himself gobsmacked. Did this man just..._greet_ him? Without demeaning or ridiculing him? What the hell was he on? Jet?

"May-I help you, sir?" Gob asked, remaining wary of the man.

"Do you have a room available, perhaps? We need a place to stay, just for tonight." The man spoke quietly for some reason.

"'We'?" Gob echoed.

"Me and my daughter." The man nodded down to the bundle in his arms. Gob's eyes widened in awe as the baby kicked at the blankets swaddling her and gurgled, only to fall silent a moment later. The man smiled down at her. "She must be dreaming. Lucky for me, she hasn't slept all day, so she should be quiet tonight." The man reached deep into the pockets of his lab coat to pull out a bag of caps. "How much for a room?"

Gob opened his mouth to answer, then Moriarty's room flew open and hit the wall loudly. The baby screeched and began to bawl as he stomped towards the balcony that overlooked the bar's lobby.

"What in the hell is makin' that racket?!" He bellowed, still upset about the sour bet. "Is that a _baby_? A fucking _**baby**_?! Who the fuck brings a bleedin' baby into a bar?!"

"A father, looking for shelter for his daughter tonight. If you have a room available, I'm willing to pay. I have the caps."

Moriarty's eyes wandered down to the still-sobbing baby. "Is it going to shut the fuck up any time soon? I don't want that shit keepin' me up all night."

"_She_ will calm down soon, so long as it's _quiet_." The man stared hard at Moriarty when the word 'quiet' was emphasized.

Moriarty sniffed and rubbed his hands together. "Since there's two of ya, I'm going to have to charge you double. 240 caps total."

Gob's jaw fell slack. He knew Moriarty was a dick, but to milk a father who just wanted shelter for his kid for 240 caps?! Much to the surprise of Gob, the man sighed in relief as he handed Moriarty his caps. Moriarty was more than happy to see caps in his possession once more as he placed them in the cash register.

"Gob. Show the man to his room."

"Right this way, sir." Gob beckoned for the man to follow him upstairs. Gob opened the door for the man and stepped back out into the hallway.

"If you need anything else sir, just let me know."

"Actually, could you watch her for a few minutes?" The man had set the now calmed baby on the bed on her back. "I need to run out for a bit and get some supplies."

Gob blinked. He was going to leave a baby with him? A baby?! "S-sir?" He sputtered. Gob had little to no experience with babies! He hadn't seen one since the bombs dropped! And this- this- _total stranger_ is entrusting his _daughter_ to him?

"I'll be right back. I promise."

He could only nod and watch the man as he disappeared out the room door. The door to the bar shut, and Gob found himself alone with a complete stranger's infant daughter. The infant daughter who was-

Oh God.

_Staring_ at him. The baby was fucking _staring_ at him. Gob tried his best to avoid her gaze, but even when he looked away, he could still feel the infant's eyes locked on him. Look at him. He was getting uncomfortable around a baby, for chrissake. The baby made small grunting sounds as she held her arms up, waving them above her and wiggling her feet. _Shit, she must've realized daddy's not here._ Gob shifted nervously on his feet, waiting for him to return.

What if he didn't return, though?

Gob started at the possibility. It wasn't uncommon for parents to abandon their children out here in the Wasteland. What if he just got tired of lugging her around and just left her in his care? Oh God, what would Moriarty do to her? Raise her in the bar to work? And when she started to mature physically, Moriarty would use her for...other services?

The baby emitted a high-pitched squeal, making Gob jump. He shook his head violently. He wouldn't go through all that trouble to drop her off in a city. Most parents in the Wasteland left their children in the middle of scenic nowhere. If he had really thought about abandoning her, then he probably would've left her somewhere in the Wasteland a long time ago, right?

Another high pitched squeal came from the baby, and as if on cue, the door to the saloon opened. "I'm coming, sweetie." The man's voice answered her. Gob's shoulders drooped in relief when the baby's father came up the stairs.

"Thank you." He smiled at Gob. "She wasn't any trouble was she?"

"No. Just- talkative."

The man smiled as he made his way over to the baby girl, set some supplies on the bed and picked her up. The baby made a happy noise as she flashed a toothless smile at her father. He tossed her up in the air, and she screeched in delight and gave a breathy giggle. Gob could feel the corners of his lips tugging into a smile as he witnessed the heartwarming scene.

"Thank you for watching her Mr.-?"

"Gob. Just Gob. No 'Mr.' necessary. I'm just the barkeep here."

"Well, thank you again, Gob."

"You're welcome sir."

"James." The man corrected him. "James Matthews. No 'Mr.' necessary." He smiled at Gob.

"Well then Mr.-Uh, James. I'll leave you to-" Gob slowly shuffled towards the door.

"Wait."

Gob dropped his hand from the doorknob to look back at James.

"Close the door."

Gob looked at the door, then back at him. "With me inside or outside?"

"Preferably inside. How else can I treat your wounds?"

"Sorry?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you looked like a mess when I came in."

Gob laughed dryly. "I'm a Ghoul, sir. What do you expect?"

"Stop that." James said firmly. "You know what I mean. Now can I tend to your wounds or not?"

Gob nodded and closed the door, making his way over to the bed where James had propped his daughter up against a pillow. James stood up and allowed Gob to sit on the bed. Gob flinched as he felt James' hands poking and prodding all over his skull, especially in the tender areas. The warmth and consistent smoothness of his hands were strangely comforting, and Gob found himself relaxing under his touch. James reached towards the pile of supplies and injected a Stimpak into Gob's head. The pain began to slowly subside, and Gob let out a sigh of relief. James continued to prod his head, frowning when he reached the side of it. He reached for a pair of tweezers, and pulled out a shard of glass that had been lodged in the patch of skin on Gob's head.

"How did you end up with glass in the side of your head, Gob?"

"Moriarty got mad at me. He broke a bottle over my head."

James paused, his hands no longer moving over Gob's head. "Why?" He prodded.

"He got mad. That's all there is to be said, sir."

A tired sigh. "Very well. I won't push you any further." James continued pulling shards of broken glass, while his daughter seemed to be watching in amusement.

"What about you, sir? What are you doing out here in the Wasteland with your daughter? If-you don't mind me asking."

James smiled sadly as he looked over at her. "Finding her a place she can build a future and be safe. She's the only one I have left out here in the Wasteland."

"Megaton's probably not the place, sir." Gob winced when James began threading a needle to give him stitches. James chuckled softly at his reaction.

"Megaton isn't the place I had in mind, exactly. I was thinking more along the lines of Vault 101."

Those last two words alone were enough to make Gob snap his head up in disbelief. Vault 101. One of the shelters built underground when those bombs dropped 200 years ago. Never been opened since!

"Just look at her Gob."

Gob did so, looking over at the tiny baby, whose hazel eyes watched them, heavy with sleep.

"She doesn't have a chance out here. I promised her mother I'd take care of her. I can't-I _won't_ let anything happen to her."

Gob clenched his fists tightly and stood up from the bed. "Follow me." He said curtly. "And try to keep her quiet."

James re-wrapped his daughter in the blanket and scooped her up off the bed. Gob opened the door and peeked around the corner. No sign of Moriarty. Good. He then beckoned James to the front door, and they noiselessly made their way outside.

"How fast can you run, sir?"

"Pardon?"

"How fast can you run?"

"Nothing special. About average."

"Alright then. Keep close to me."

"Gob, where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to Vault 101. Think of it as payback for not treating me like shit. Now let's go, before Moriarty finds out I'm gone." With that, Gob took off at a sprint, with James keeping his daughter close to his chest to avoid bouncing the poor baby too much. As soon as they made it outside Megaton's gates, Gob didn't even stop to take a breath.

"Run like hell!" He hissed at James. Idling in the Wasteland, especially at night, was like asking death to come for you. Their feet pounded against the dry, cracked ground, still warm from the baking sun. Gob led him up a hill, eclipsed by an old scenic overlook. They stopped to catch their breaths. Gob opened an old, rickety, wooden door, revealing a dark tunnel with a faint light coming from the end of it.

"This is as far as I can take you, James. Wouldn't want those sheltered assholes to think I'm the product of not being in one of their Vaults."

"Gob...Thank you." James gasped through his heavy breaths. "Thank you. I'll never forget this."

"It's the least I can do." Gob then gave him his best smile. "Hey, if you ever get sick of that place and decide to move out, you know where to find me. Goodbye, James."

"Goodbye, Gob." James tilted his daughter towards Gob. "Say goodbye, Ellianna Josephine."

She cooed and babbled in response, and Gob reached forward to gently pat her head.

"Don't give your father a hard time, okay kid?" He said softly.

With one final nod, James disappeared into the dark tunnel. Gob shut the door behind him, but remained near it, waiting and listening. After a few more moments, a series of metallic groans and scrapes resonated through the air. Gob's breath hitched as he pressed an ear hole to the door and strained to hear what was going on. A few faint murmurs carried, but the rest was lost to the occasional gusts of wind. Several minutes passed, at least 15, until he heard the horrible metallic sounds again. Taking a chance, he opened the door again and took a few steps into the tunnel. No sign of James or his daughter, just a huge, round door with a big "101" painted in yellow numbers on the front. Gob felt his heart both swell and ache. James got his wish for his daughter to be protected from the hardships of the Wasteland. And Gob would probably never again see the one person in this shithole that treated him like an entity. Gob ran his worn, flesh deprived hands over the door as if it were made of glass. He prayed that such a kind heart would never return to the Wasteland.

Kind hearts were prone to get ripped out of one's chest.


	2. Chapter 1

**_October 23rd, 2262_**

"One-hundred and eighty-five years ago today, the planet was laid to waste by the nuclear explosions of the Great War. We were forced underground as the unforgiving fallout engulfed the world as our ancestors knew it; green, lush, and pure had been reduced to brown, sickly, and ungodly filthy. Many had foolishly remained on the Topside in vain, waiting for the earth they once knew to resurrect itself. But we- the survivors, made the right choice. When that door slid shut all those years ago, we remained inside. When the flames engulfed all the others, we remained inside. While the evils of the wasteland prevailed on the Topside, we also prevailed. Because-"

"We remained inside!" The entire Vault answered the Overseer in unison, breaking into cheers and applause. "We remained inside!"

James clapped along weakly as the rest of the residents stood to their feet in a standing ovation. What were they even cheering for? The Overseer made it it to sound like they were the proud victors in a long line of natural selection and they made it out on top. In all actuality, the only reason they survived is because their predecessors received the letter of acceptance to Vault 101 in the mail.

The Overseer held up his hand to quiet the crowd. "Let us be honest, if for only a moment here, my fellow residents."

_Oh for Christ's sake._ James groaned mentally. If the Overseer wanted honesty, James would gladly go up to the podium himself and gladly tell the residents what the history of Vault 101 was really like. The Vault door had been opened since the bombs fell, the Topside wasn't as big of an irradiated wasteland as he made it out to be, and not everyone was born here in the Vault.

"The reason our predecessors sought the safety and sanctuary of the Vault, was for their future; the children."

Mr. Brotch, Vault 101's teacher, beckoned to a group of children to follow him up near the podium, where they stopped and conjugated in front of the adults.

"This," The Overseer held his hand out towards the children. "_This_, is why we remain down here, my fellow residents. This, right here is our future. Down here, our sons and daughters are given opportunity, safety, freedom, and- a future."

Ellianna Josephine looked right at her father and smiled at him. As much as James was loathe to admit it, the Overseer was right. His daughter had more of a chance in a lifetime down here than a few seconds in out the Wasteland.

Mr. Brotch raised his hands up in front of him and began to move them around fluidly as the children burst into song.

"_Protection you offer us many a year,_

_we thank you so much dear Overseer!_

_Safe from the Wasteland's harms,_

_no need down here for any alarm!_

_Together we work, day after day,_

_never straying from our old ways._

_Vault 101, how we love you,_

_and to you, forever, we will remain true!_

_Help us strive to do be our best,_

_even when hardships put us to the test._

_Our parents remain our inspirations,_

_for they don't bend knee to the Wasteland's temptations!_

_Vault 101, how we love you,_

_and to you, forever, we will remain true!_"

The atrium erupted into thunderous applause and cheers and no one remained seated. James joined in on the applause too, but his heart also ached for having to raise his only daughter in a secluded world full of lies. And he, her father, had to be the one responsible to lying to her. He had no choice. If Ellianna Josephine were to stay down here, James would have to succumb to the Overseer's wishes to keep their origin a secret from her, and all the other children her age.

"Residents of Vault 101," The Overseer boomed, "here's to another one-hundred and eighty five years in Vault 101. So long as we work for it, we shall prosper! _Dum laborus prosperous_!"

"_Dum laborus prosperous_!" The Vault answered back.

"You are all dismissed. Go and spend time with your fellow residents as we reflect on our success."

The atrium quickly buzzed to life as the other residents dispersed around the atrium to find their children up front and to talk with friends and family. James rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. Thank God it was over. He didn't know how much more pretentious propaganda he could stomach tonight. He caught a glimpse of a redheaded four-year old darting through and under the legs of the idling adults, eventually stopping to hug his leg.

"Hello, honey." James patted his daughter's head and smiled down at her. "You sang so well tonight! I'm proud of you."

"Well, Mr. Brotch said we could've done better. Susie's voice got really high, and she started squeaking like a mouse; and Butch kept on making Wally and Paul laugh by making his voice really low. Mr. Brotch said something about the Overseer kicking his ass."

"E.J., what did I say about those words?"

"Sorry, daddy. Kick his butt. Is that better?" She pushed her round glasses up on her nose a little higher.

"Well, it's an improvement." James looked around the room. No matter how hard he tried, they would never truly belong here, would they? E.J. squeezed her father's fingers.

"Can we go home, daddy? Is it allowed?"

"What's wrong? Don't you want to stay and play with your friends?"

E.J. shook her head. "It wouldn't be fun without you, daddy."

"Alright, then. Let's go home." James squeezed his daughter's hand as they both made their way back to their apartment. E.J. jumped on the sofa and kicked her boots off. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a lumpy napkin.

"I got a sweetroll for you. It's a little smushed, but it's still yummy."

"Really?" James joined her on the sofa. "Who made the sweetrolls tonight?"

"Miss Palmer did. I like it when she makes them. Miss Beatrice's sweetrolls are too sticky. And Mrs. Kendall doesn't put any icing on hers. The icing's the best part." Splitting the pastry in half, she gave the bigger part to her father as she bit into hers.

"E.J.," James said after he had finished a bite, "Are you sure you didn't want to stay at the party?"

"I'm sure." She wiped her hand on her sleeve. "'Sides, I know you got lots of work to do."

"Work?"

She nodded, licking icing off of her lip. "You stay up really late at night, and you don't go to bed until super late."

"How do you know that?" He teased her, "Looks like someone's been staying up past her bedtime." He snatched her up by the waist and dropped her in his lap, tickling her ribs and her neck. E.J. squealed and giggled, trying to push him away as he persisted. They both halted their movements as the door to their apartment opened, and there stood the Overseer, staring down his nose at them.

"Overseer." James set E.J. back on the sofa and stood up to greet him.

"James." He replied curtly.

"E.J.!" Amata appeared from behind the Overseer's legs and ran over to her friend. "Why aren't you at the party? All the kids are gonna play "Hunt the Mutant"! You know I can't be on a team with anyone else but you! Susie's afraid of the dark, and Christine always tells the boys where we're hiding! Come on, they're not gonna wait for us forever!" And just like that, Amata grabbed E.J.'s hand and dragged her out of the apartment and back into the atrium, leaving James and the Overseer standing across from each other.

"I didn't see you stay for the reception." The Overseer spoke first, his voice low and unwavering.

"Yes, Overseer. I did not."

"Any reason why?"

"Ellianna Josephine insisted that we returned home."

A rude noise escaped the back of the Overseer's throat, causing James to bristle. "You let your _four-year-old_ daughter call the shots? You let her yank you around like a puppet on a string?"

"Of course not!" He spat harshly. "Why would I stay at a celebration that had clearly nothing to do with me?"

"'Nothing to do with you'?" The Overseer shook his head and clicked his tongue. "James, this celebration has everything to do with you. You're a citizen of Vault 101. All of our successes, we owe to this very Vault. For without it, where would we be?"

"I'd be right where I was before. Out in the Wasteland, working for my wife's dream."

"We've discussed this before, James. This whole pipe-dream project of yours is not worth pursuing any further."

"_Pipe dream?!_ Overseer, this is a project that could improve the lives of everyone in the World above! We can make the Wasteland a livable place again!"

"And abandon the nearly 200-year history of the Vault?! Certainly not! I refuse to throw away the legacy that our forefathers-"

"What legacy?" James snapped, "Do you really think your forefathers wanted you to stay underground, uneducated, ignorant, and sheltered? The Vaults were only meant to be occupied until the all-clear was sounded!"

"Are you insisting we go out there and perish in the radiation?!"

"The radiation is only lethal in some areas, but in a majority of D.C. it's less harmful. If we were to lead a scouting party outside the Vault-"

"Enough! Enough of this!" The Overseer bellowed.

"If you would just open your eyes, Overseer! Life is up there, and worth preserving!"

"Nothing outside the Vault is worthy of preservation, James. Nothing! Anything else is tainted, and impure! I will have no more talk of this- project- of yours, Doctor Matthews. Any more of this nonsensical aspiration will result in your ejection from the Vault."

James opened his mouth to tell the Overseer that he couldn't care less if he was thrown out of the Vault, but the Overseer cut him off by adding "You _and_ your daughter's ejection from the Vault." James immediately shut his mouth.

"What's wrong, James? Didn't you just say so yourself? That the Wasteland isn't as bad as I think it is?"

"She's just a child, Overseer."

"And? 'The radiation up there is only lethal in some areas, and life up there is worth preserving.' You said so yourself. A perfect place to raise a child, don't you think?"

"Overseer-"

"No more on this project." The Overseer repeated forcefully. "And I never want to hear the words 'leave' and 'Vault' leave your lips in the same sentence. Are we clear, Doctor Matthews?"

"Yes, Overseer."

"Oh come now, don't be so down. This is for your own good, James." He patted him on the shoulder, and it took a lot of restraint on James' part not to grab that hand off of his shoulder and squeeze it for all he was worth. "Now, don't we have a party to attend?"

James reluctantly followed the Overseer back into the atrium where the party was still in session. James grabbed a paper cup filled with punch and brought it to his lips as he leaned against a pillar and scanned the room.

_How long have they been told the same lies over and over? How much longer do they have down here? Will they ever know? Will my own daughterever know?_ James took another drin_ I suppose she will, eventually. For now, I'll have to do my share of Project Purity._

* * *

**_A/N: In this story, Ellianna rhymes with sauna, not banana._**


	3. Chapter 2

_**January 19th, 2266**_

_Weekly Computer Mainframe Maintenance in Progress. If you are the Administrator, please enter your password._

James let out a curse as he switched off his terminal and leaned back in his chair.

"Something the matter, doc?" Jonas, the clinic's assistant appeared in the doorway with two mugs of coffee in his hands. James nodded, accepting the cup from his friend.

"Weekly maintenance." He said curtly. "Either my timing is getting worse, or the Overseer knows what we're up to."

"Can't be." Jonas sat at his desk opposite of James's. "You and I both know that we never save onto the terminal's hard drive."

James nodded, taking a long drink of coffee and grimacing down into the cup. "I know it. I'm more concerned that the Overseer will find the holotape we've saved all our data so far on." He looked at the screen, the progress bar inching its way forward ever so slowly. "Or worse, he'll be able to extract any data we've saved to any device."

Jonas stifled a laugh at his paranoia. "Don't worry doc; the Overseer may be an intelligent man, but he's one of the most technologically inept person I have ever known. Just last week, he locked himself out of his office because he forgot that his password was case-sensitive." Jonas slapped his thigh and broke down into a fit of laughter. " I told him that, and he says to me; 'Case-sensitive?! That's not my password'!"

James had to laugh at the thought of the Vault's supreme leader hunched over a terminal, probably banging on the keyboard. "Can never hurt to be too cautious, Jonas. You never know..." And they both burst out into laughter again.

"Speaking of which, what should we do about this?" Jonas jerked his thumb at the screen of his terminal. "We could probably create a program that could override the weekly maintenance."

"Sounds tempting, but it's too risky. The Overseer has all his technicians root through every file saved on the computer."

Jonas blanched a little at this and looked at his monitor on his desk. "_Every_ file?"

"Jonas, please, for the love of God tell me you didn't save anything incriminating onto your terminal."

He looked up at James and the look on his face said it all. "I- may have had a few journal entries..."

"Jonas!" James barked. "What were you thinking?! The Overseer will-"

Jonas held up a hand. "Wait, I just thought of something. There's still a chance we can stop all this. The Overseer's program checks each terminal individually. If we were to somehow override that-"

"All the computers are _down_, Jonas. How do you propose we can override the Overseer's program?"

Jonas stood up in a heartbeat. "My apartment. Let's move." James flipped off the lights to his office and the two men dashed into the hallway. "I've got a program I've been working on for the Overseer. Sort of like a kill switch in the very unlikely event that some outside source could hack into the system."

"Is the Overseer aware of it?"

"Of its existence, yes. Of its completion, no." Jonas opened the door to his apartment and made his way straight to his bedroom, and began rummaging around in his dresser. Pulling out a holotape, he opened his terminal.

_Routine Maintenance in progress, scanning files 1 of 47…_

"It's still scanning this one, good. We've got time. If we can just get back to the terminal in my office before it-"

The door slid open, and the two men jumped to find the Overseer in the doorway, accompanied by two armed guards. "Apprehend them." He said curtly. The guards rushed them, grabbing their arms tightly enough to cut off their circulation.

"Overseer, what is the meaning of this?" James demanded, struggling against the guard.

"You think me as a fool, James? You know damn well what this is all about. The mainframe revealed to me that Mister Jonas's clinic computer would not show up in the Vault's Terminal Registry."

"How?"

Beckoning to the two guards, the Overseer began to walk back to James's apartment. "I was hoping _you_ could tell me that, James. Who else in the Vault would sweat bullets when my technicians search every file?" The panel to the clinic opened, and the Overseer strode over to the office. "My gut instincts tell me that you were trying to hide something from me."

What the hell was he talking about? He and Jonas hadn't even put the override holotape into Jonas's computer! How was his terminal not showing up?

"What is the meaning of this?!" The Overseer bellowed as the door to the office opened. Ellianna Josephine lay on the floor, an ankle tied in the cords of Jonas's terminal, and the terminal's monitor smashed to little bits on the floor next to Ellianna Josephine's bleeding legs.

"Ellianna Josephine!" James broke free of the guard's grasp, pushed past the Overseer and knelt by her side. "What in the world happened?"

"I couldn't sleep. I came in here because I heard you and Jonas talking, but the room was dark, and I forgot to put my glasses on." She sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "I musta tripped on the cords.."

"Are you alright?" James picked her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. E.J. nodded.

"I'm fine. I think I may need a really big band-aid, though."

The Overseer was visibly shaking, and was red in the face. "Overseer." James turned towards him. "This was all a misunderstanding. I apologize on my daughter's behalf for this ruckus."

"I'm sorry, Overseer." E.J. added softly.

The Overseer made a noise of disapproval as he ordered the guards to pull back. "This close, James. You are_ this_ close." The Overseer spat venomously under his breath. James paid him no mind as he left the clinic. Jonas let out the breath he had been holding with an audible whoosh.

"I'm really really sorry about your computer, Jonas." E.J. said softly. Smiling, Jonas reached out and ruffled her maroon hair.

"It's alright, Elli J. I'm sure you didn't mean to. I'm actually glad you broke it." He laughed. James cleared his throat sharply and knit his brow at Jonas. "Just get those cuts on your legs taken care of. Okay, kiddo?"

"I will." She was silent for a moment, then called after Jonas. "When I get bigger and get a job, I'll buy you a new one. I promise."

"I'll put it on your tab, Elli J. Good night, you two." He waved.

The door slid closed and James made his way over to the examination table and set E.J. down on it. Blood trickled over her olive skin on her legs, all the way down to her heels. Wasting no time, James put on a pair of gloves and began to clean her legs.

"Daddy?" E.J. whispered. "I'm really really sorry."

James sighed as he stopped cleaning her legs and looked up at her. "Honey-"

"I lied." She blurted, her eyes filling with tears. "To you and the Overseer and Jonas. I-" The sentence was cut short as she burst into tears. "It's all my fault the Overseer got mad at you. I'm sorry, daddy."

"Oh, Ellianna Josephine…" James sat next to her on the examination table and crushed her in a tight embrace as she sobbed into his chest. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was!" She denied vehemently, rubbing her eyes. "I didn't trip, daddy. I broke Jonas's terminal on purpose."

His brow furrowed in surprise as she continued. "I heard you and Jonas saying something about the Overseer getting into Jonas's computer. I wanted to help you guys, because I know how special your work is to you, daddy. I saw the Overseer running down the hall a little while ago, looking for you and Jonas, so I thought if I broke the computer-" She stopped as she began to cry again. "I'm sorry!"

James could feel his heart tighten in his chest sharply. His own daughter, his own flesh and blood, was willing to put herself in physical harm to protect Project Purity, which she didn't even have a clue about? "Ellianna Josephine, why would you do something like that?"

Her lips pursed together, the tell-tale sign that she was going to tell a lie. "Because I wanted to help you."

"Sweetie...I appreciate your help, but daddy's work is something you can't help us with."

"Why? Can I help when I'm bigger?"

"I'm afraid not, honey."

"But-"

"Its not that simple Ellianna Josephine. I can't say anymore."

Her face fell into an expression that could only be described as a look of pure betrayal and hurt.

"But I will tell you this. Daddy's work will be able to help a lot of people."

"And I wanna help you!" She whined.

"You can help me out by just being yourself, E.J. Just keep living life." _Because you are the reason for me to finish this Project._


	4. Chapter 3

_**September 2nd, 2269**_

"Doc. You need to come here."

James looked up from his monitor and rubbed at his eyes. "Can it wait?"

Jonas shook his head, looking rather pale. "I'm afraid not, doc. You need to come here. Now."

"Jonas. What is it?" James could feel his heart rate start to pick up. Jonas was usually an laid back, easygoing man; it look a lot to get him worried or disgruntled. However, his countenance at the moment told James that something was very, very wrong.

"I stopped by your apartment to say hello to Elli J., but she nearly bit my head off and threw a glass at me. I've never seen her so perturbed."

That came as an even bigger surprise to James. Ellianna Josephine throwing a glass at Jonas? The girl _loved_ Jonas. What on God's green earth would possess her to do such a thing? Making the way to the door of his apartment, Jonas hung back.

"I think it's best that I stay away and let you handle this. Don't want to incur her wrath any further." He chuckled dryly.

"Now, Jonas. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of-" The door opened and James' mouth dropped. The apartment was in shambles. E.J.'s books were thrown everywhere with pages torn out, the stuffing of a spare pillow sprinkled about the floor, and plates and glasses lay in a million pieces in the kitchen unit area.

" Been nice knowing you, doc." Jonas quickly backed out of the apartment and retreated to the sanctuary of the clinic's office. Dear God. James would rather soon believe that a poltergeist rampaged through his apartment than E.J. creating this "masterpiece". Stepping over and through the wreckage, he searched for the cause.

"E.J.?" He called, "Ellianna Josephine? Where are you? I want to talk to you."

"Well _I_ don't." She snapped from her bedroom. "Leave me the hell alone! I told Jonas to tell you that!"

_Where did that sudden bite come from?_ He wondered. Taking a chance, James opened the door to her bedroom to find her curled up tightly in the blankets in a fetal position. Her breath made hissing noises through her clenched teeth.

"I said go away! Don't touch me!" She screeched at her father. "I mean it!"

"Ellianna Josephine? What's gotten into you? Why are you acting like this? Why did you throw a glass at Jonas?"

"Shut up!" She wailed, curling herself into a ball even tighter. "Shut up! Please!"

"Ellianna Josephine." James said sternly as he sat next to her on the bed. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. May you please tell me so I can at least_ try_ to help you?"

"It hurts!" She began to sob, thrashing in the blankets. "Dad, it really hurts! I just want to die already so it can be over with!"

"What does, honey? What's hurting you?" James was on full alert now, having pulled the blankets back and ready to give an examination right there if need be.

"My stomach! My freaking stomach! It feels like I'm being poked with a hot knife!" Her hands flew over her abdomen as she brought her knees up to her chest. "Dad,_ please_ make it _stop_! _Please_!" She begged, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

James scooped her up in his arms and rushed her down the hall to the clinic. Wasting no time, he unzipped her Vault suit and placed her on the gurney. The commotion summoned Jonas out of his office.

"Doc, what's wrong? Is Elli J. alright?"

"I don't know." James muttered curtly. "I'm trying to figure that out." He helped E.J. out of her Vault suit and began to apply gentle pressure to her stomach. "Honey, does it hurt here?"

"No. It hurts lower."

A few inches more, and James repeated the action. "Here?"

"No. It hurts lower." She said again in a strangled voice.

A few more inches and James applied pressure to her lower abdomen, eliciting an angry cry from her.

"Why would you _do_ that if you know it hurts there?!" She bellowed at her father.

"Ellianna Josephine, please bear with me, honey. I need to know what's going on. This is for your own good."

She begrudgingly fell silent as James kept applying pressure to her abdomen. Occasionally, his fingers would reach an area that would make her writhe and hiss in pain.

"Anything I can do to help, doc?" Jonas asked from behind James.

"Try to make her comfortable, is all." What was happening to his daughter? What was causing this much pain for her? His heart seized as his mind flipped through a mental list of diseases whose symptoms were pain in the abdomen. It couldn't be cancer, could it?

"Doc."

James looked over to see Jonas holding E.J.'s Vault suit up by the legs. A small splotch of blood had seeped into the blue fabric of the suit at the apex of the thigh.

No.

It couldn't be.

"E.J., can you pull your panties down a little bit for me, honey?" E.J. laboriously did so, and sure enough, he saw blood. He wordlessly pulled her underwear back up on her and just stood there in sheer shock and disbelief.

"Dad? Dad, what's wrong with me?"

_Christ Almighty._

Her period.

Her first period.

"Dad!" E.J. screeched, snapping him out of his stupor. "What's wrong with me?!" She demanded.

It took a moment for James to find his voice, and he had to sit down. "Nothing's wrong, sweetheart."

"Then why do I hurt so much?"

James looked at Jonas, whom stood there awkwardly. "Ahem...maybe I should go. I'll see you later!"

"Jonas wait-" But Jonas darted out of the clinic before James could stop him. _Damn you, you son of a bitch_. He cursed silently.

"Dad?" E.J. pressed him. "What's wrong?" She repeated.

James sighed and took her hand in his. "Wait here a moment." He hadn't been ready for this! Well, he had, but now?! She was 11 now, but he hadn't expected this for another two years or so. He shook his head as he pulled out a container of ibuprofen and a heating pad. He thought about what Catherine would've done in this situation. Straight-shooting. No bullshit, just tell it like it is. Don't sugarcoat anything. With a nod of resolve, he went back to E.J. He placed the heating pad on her abdomen and handed her a dose of ibuprofen and a cup of water.

"Take this. It will help with your pain."

"Yeah, I doubt it." She said dryly, but took the pills from him anyway. "Dad, what's happening to me?_ Really_?"

James sighed and seated himself on the gurney next to her. "To be blunt, you're on your period, honey."

E.J. nearly choked on the pills, and James had to whack her on the back a few times.

"I can't be!" She sputtered. "I'm only 11! The textbooks said most girls get them at 13! How in the _hell_- I mean, how in the _world_ do I have it now?!"

"It varies from person to person, Ellianna Josephine. 13 isn't a set in stone age where all girls get their period at once. Some girls even start having them at age 8."

"No way."

He nodded. "But don't think that what's happening to you is a bad thing. It's perfectly natural, and all young women go through this."

"But what about the pain, dad? Why does it hurt so much? I felt like I had to break something, it hurt so bad!"

"That explains the mess in the apartment then." He sighed, scratching his chin. "And the glass thrown at Jonas."

E.J. averted her gaze out of pure guilt. "I'm sorry, but I just felt so angry at nothing, and I had to let it out. I don't know why."

"Possibly hormones. Women can tend to get irritable because of the pain and discomfort. But that's no excuse for your actions. You were in the right mind when you threw that glass at Jonas, and that was totally out of line."

"I know." She mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"I think Jonas is the one who needs to be apologized to, not me." James patted her head. "Your body's just changing, Ellianna Josephine, and it's nothing to be afraid of."

She nodded and watched her dad as he got up off the gurney. "Even if my body changes, you'll still see me as E.J., right?"

James smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Of course, honey. Get some rest. We'll talk more about this later when you stop hurting."

"Okay."

James went back to his apartment and opened the door to find Jonas finishing cleaning his apartment.

"Thanks for walking out on me, Jonas." He scoffed. "I was _entirely_ ready to give her that talk _on my own_."

"I figured I'd lend you a hand some other way, doc. I've seen women on their menstrual cycles, and let me tell you, they're a force to be reckoned with. As you've experienced firsthand." He patted his shoulder. "My condolences, doc."

James laughed dryly as he helped Jonas tidy up. "Thanks, Jonas. Just expect me to crash at your apartment when she has another episode."

"All joking aside, congrats, doc. It must be something, seeing your baby girl change into a woman right in front of your eyes."

"Yeah." James sighed sadly. "Sure is."

Jonas stopped cleaning and looked up at him. "You okay, doc?"

"Jonas, I- I can't be here for that much longer."

"What? Why?"

"Project Purity. How can I expect to make a change if I'm trapped down here, Jonas? What can I do with the Overseer breathing down my neck all the time? I can't let this die. Not again. It's not-" He swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "It's not what Catherine would have wanted. She wouldn't want me to give up on our dream."

"And E.J.?"

James nodded listlessly. "I can't take her with me."

Jonas was surprised enough to drop the accumulated debris in his hands. "But doc, she's your daughter!"

"I know. And I want nothing but the best for her, Jonas. The Wasteland won't allow her that luxury."

"The kid will be crushed, doc."

"That's what's going to have to happen."

Jonas' mouth went agape. "What?"

"She's got everything she needs down here, Jonas. Shelter, safety and necessities. That's all I want for her, Jonas. Even if it means my own daughter coming to resent me."

"Would your wife had wanted this?"

James glared at his assistant, and Jonas fell silent. "Sorry, doc. That was out of line. I apologize." Jonas excused himself and left the apartment hurriedly. Of course Catherine would want this! So long as it meant Ellianna Josephine's safety and security.

Right?

It's not like he didn't have regrets about leaving his only daughter behind. Events like this one today; landmarks in her development as a person would only be wondered about. He wouldn't see her graduate, get married, have her first child…

But he also couldn't allow Project Purity to die. So much work would be wasted, and the Wasteland would remain just that. A Wasteland. He had to pave the way in the Wasteland's future. It all depended on him, no matter what E.J. thought of it.

Or him.


	5. Chapter 4

_**May 10th, 2274**_

A taller than average woman with brown skin, grey hair, and hazel eyes resided in the black and white photograph James held in his hands. She was leaning against the desk, laughing at the steam from the beaker on the burner that had fogged up her lab glasses. The back of the picture had a small note in little, cursive letters:

_Me, goofing off in the laboratory. James caught me at a bad time, that jerk. That wasn't even my good side!_

James smiled and shook his head, setting the photograph of his wife aside and reaching into the box for another one. This one had Catherine sleeping in a rather unceremonious position on a tattered sofa. This one read:

_I'm going to kill James for this one! Why does he always catch me in the most unflattering positions?!_

Honestly, James couldn't think of a single unflattering position he could find his wife in. She possessed her own style of grace and poise that made every photograph he owned of her look like a flawless photoshoot. Catherine was nowhere near clumsy or tactless. Oh, Catherine. His beautiful Catherine. How he missed her so much. The next picture made James' heart both ache and swell at the same time. It had Catherine with her hands on her swollen belly, smiling her widest. James flipped the picture over.

_I actually gave permission for James to take this one. Me with my baby boy/girl. (I'll circle one of those when the baby is born) 8 months, and still looking good! Don't you think so? Can I work a baby bump, or what?_

"Oh, Catherine…" He sighed sadly and turned the picture back over. Tears began to well up in his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. He couldn't believe it had been 15 years since her death. And with each year, James would only miss her more and more to the point where it was physically painful. She was his everything, and now his everything was gone.

The door to the clinic opened, and E.J. stuck her head in.

"E.J.?" James was unable to hide the slight quiver in his voice. "Where have you been all day?"

"Hanging with Amata. I was just letting you know I'm back." E.J.'s eyes wandered down to the pictures on his desk. "Photos?" She asked.

James nodded and waved her over. "You want to come and take a look?"

"Sure. Why not." E.J. looked over the photos scattered on the desk and picked one up. Her face fell, and her eyes became hurt. She picked up another and James could see her throat working. "Are these of mom?"

"Yes. They are.."

E.J. set the picture down on the desk and looked at the floor. "I'll look at them later."

"Why not now? I'm not working today, so I was hoping you and I could-"

"No. I'll look at them later. I don't want to bother you."

"Ellianna Josephine-" James began. She didn't answer, instead staring down at her feet, her fists clenching and unclenching nervously. Standing up, James attempted to move towards her, only to have E.J. turn on her heel and leave his office, and darting into the bedroom, locking the door behind her.

"Ellianna Josephine!" James knocked on the door to the bedroom.

"I don't want to talk, dad. Please." She called back, her voice thick with tears.

"Well, I do. May you open the door please?"

"No, dad."

"Ellianna Josephine Matthews, you open this door right now, young lady."

Silence for a few moments more, then footsteps. The door opened, and James' speculations were proved right. She was crying. She turned her back to him and sat on her bed, leaning against the wall, with both arms draped over her knees. He joined her on the bed, looking at her expectantly.

"Why are you acting like this, E.J.?"

"Dad, it's Mother's Day today."

Yes, it was, but that still didn't explain her behavior. Come to think of it, she wasn't around for Mother's Day last year. She had gone to hang with Amata. "If you knew that, then why did you stay out all day? Everyone's celebrating it today in the Vault."

"Everyone in the Vault except Amata and Me." E.J. answered bitterly. "I didn't want to see you. At least not until this day was over. So I went over to Amata's and she invited me to stay there until the evening."

"Ellianna Josephine, why didn't you want to see me today?"

Burying her face in her knees, E.J. mumbled something. James coaxed her to raise her head and look at him. The tears in her eyes began to well up again, and her face was a bright red.

"Dad...You loved mom more than the world, didn't you?"

"Of course, honey."

"And you were crushed when she died?"

"Yes."

"How did she die, dad?"

"You and I both know that she died during child-"

Oh God.

E.J. couldn't be- No, she couldn't. "Ellianna Josephine, what are you trying to say?"

"She died during childbirth dad. Your _wife_, the love of your life died giving birth to a child. Giving birth to_ me_. How could I even look you in the face today knowing that I ruined this day for the rest of your life? I took her from you, dad. Mom's not here because of_ me._"

"Ellianna Josephine, don't." He begged. "Please don't-"

"Don't what? Blame myself?" She yelled at him through her tears, "Dad, how can I not blame myself? You can't hide it! I caused mom's death! Even if I stop blaming myself, you'll still wake up crying over her. You'll start calling for her in your sleep! You'll still look at me with that pained look!" E.J. got up off the bed to face her father. "You wish mom were here, don't you? You wish it were me that died, right?"

James fell silent. All this time she was believing that he hated her? That he wished her death in exchange for Catherine? His own flesh and blood believed him to hold her in contempt of Catherine's death.

"I knew it." E.J. said, mistaking her father's silence for approval. "Dad. I know you won't be able to forgive me, but, at least know I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare." James launched himself off the bed and crushed her to his chest as tightly as she could. "Don't think even for a second that I resent you for what happened, Ellianna Josephine."

"Then why do you look at me like that?" She sobbed into his shoulder. "Why do you look at me like you're sad?"

He couldn't tell her that it was because he was planning on leaving her behind when the time came, so he had to fish up a lie and fast. "Because I'm reminded on how much your mother wanted to meet you. It makes me sad that she's not here to share this experience with me. I'm sad that she didn't get to meet you."

"Dad, I don't believe a word of what you're saying." She mumbled, still crying.

"I'm telling the truth, Ellianna Josephine. Please believe me. Your mother would be so proud of the young woman who stands here today."

E.J. stopped crying and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her jumpsuit. "Yeah? Look at me, dad. What the hell- What could she possibly be proud of me for?"

"You're a smart, young woman. You get good grades. Straight A's"

"_Anyone_ can get good grades, dad."

James chuckled softly. "But from Mister Brotch? The strictest grader in the Vault's history?"

E.J.'s lips twitched in the smallest smile and then disappeared.

"You're level-headed, too. A trait your mother only wished I had."

"_Pfft._ Right."

"I'm serious!"

"I'm apathetic and sarcastic. Those two are on the opposite spectrum of level-headed."

"Hmph. Your mother could take a compliment. Looks like that's one trait you missed out on." He laughed, drawing her into a hug again. "Ellianna Josephine-"

"E.J., dad." She corrected.

"E.J., don't blame yourself. It couldn't have been stopped. Things just happened the way they did. Yes, your mother's gone, but you're here now, and that's what matters, right?"

He could feel her shrug against him. "I don't know, dad. I really don't know."

Sighing, he held her out at arm's length and looked into her eyes. "God forbid you become a slouch like your father." He laughed again. "I don't blame you. Not even for a moment. I would never hold you accountable for what happened to your mother."

E.J.'s hazel eyes still looked unconvinced, but she gave a small nod in response.

"Now can you give me a smile?"

"After bawling my eyes out? Sure dad, I'll give you a smile after my brain has been wracked with negative feelings." James frowned and E.J. shrugged. "What'd I tell you? Sarcastic."

"You're impossible, aren't you?"

"I'm _your_ daughter."

"Low blow, E.J."

She gave him her crooked smile and sighed. "But you really mean it? You don't blame me?"

"Never. I love you too much to do such a thing." James kissed her on the forehead.

One more smile, and E.J. left the room and headed to the kitchen unit to make dinner, while James hung back in the room. It was true. He did love her too much to have her take the blame for Catherine's death. But if he truly loved her,

-Why was he going to leave her?


End file.
